Device for suspending lamps



(No Model.)

'. H. ORTHBLL.

DEVICE POR SUSPBNDING LAMPS. y No. 450,096. Patented Apu?, 1891.

'me Noms rusas co., mom-uma., msnmmau, D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED II. CORTHELL, OF ELGIN, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR SUSPENDING LAlVlPVS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,096, dated April "i, 18 '91.

Application tiled November 26, 1890. Serial ITO. 372,674. (No model.) l

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED H. CORTHELL, a resident of Elgin, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Vin Devices forSuspending Lamps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it pertains to make and use the sam e.

The object of my invention is to simplify the construction of suspending devices for hanging electric lights, lamps, chandeliers, and the like, which shall be adapted to suspend the lamp or other article and permit its easy adjustment to any desired position and automatically lock it therein, and also adapted under another adjustment to hold the lamp counterbalanced by a spring, the locking device being at such times rendered inoperative by the said adjustment; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of the device, a part of its case being broken away. Fig. E2 is an elevation of the device under another adjustment. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line x fr of Fig. 2.

Numeral l indicates a case having, preferably, relnovable end sections 2 2, each provided with an opening for the passage of a suspending-cord, which may also be an electric conductor. This opening is, however, not important in the present construction, and the suspending-cord may be lattached to the spool-body in any convenient manner.

Recesses 4 and 5, open at opposite ends one to the other, are formed on the interiorof the case and diametrically opposite to each other with respect to the case. These are intended to receive the ends of a spindle 0, which at one end is provided with a rectangularlyshaped recess 5, and hold the spindle against rotation in the case. The opposite end of the spindle is adapted to be held in recess 4. A spool or drum 8 is placed loosely upon said spindle, being connected with it by the medium of a spring 9.

l0 lO are the heads of the spool, and 1l -its body.

12 indicates a hole through this body for the passage of the suspending-cord, which, being partly drawn through said hole, has both parts wound in onel direction about the spool, the ends being extended in opposite directions through the openings in the caps of the case.

S indicates a pawlholding disk secured by brackets S to aspool-head. Preferably these brackets and the diskS are stamped out of sheet metal, the brackets being` subsequently bent in proper form and then secured toa head of the spool. Pawls aredenoted by 13 and a notched disk by 14. This disk is made fast on the spindle. Looking at Fig. 2 it will be seen that under the arrangement illustrated it the spindle and notched disk are held and the pand-plate turned to the right the pawls will automatically engage the tooth lof the ratchet by means of gravity, unless the revolution of the disk and pawls be made too rapid, as can be done when their engagement is not desired, the construction being similar to that shown in patent to F. H. Corthell, No. 416,255, granted December 3, 1889, except as herein set forth. The spindle and spool are connected by a coiled spring 9, one.

end of which may conveniently be bent to embrace one of the brackets, as shown, or may be otherwise fastened thereto, having its inner end secured to the spindle between the disk ll and the spool-head.

-12 indicates a hole passing through the cylindrical body of the spool. If a suspendingcord be passed through this and its two porf tions, then wound upon the spool, as stated, and the spool and spindle put in the case, tension can be put upon thespring'by simply pulling the ends of the cord in opposite directions, or, one portion of the cord being attached to a suspending-hook or other support in usual manner, the springcan be wound by pullingupon one end of the cord.

It will be understood that in use the cords pass through the openings in rthe caps, which in case ot the suspension of electric lights are provided with sleeves or thimbles 17 of nonconducting material.

In the patented construction above referred to there can be two pawls and the ratchet has two teeth, one on each of two opposite edges,

so that whichever end of the case is upper-l IOO most a pawl will automatically engage a tooth of the ratchet. the device being intended for use with a spring that more than balances the weight of the article suspended. vice, therefore, a sustaining-pawl is always normally in engagement with the ratchet, and the lamp or other device is taken off the spring thereby. It is, however, desirable under some circumstances to suspend a lamp or other article so that the spring will counterbalance its weight, as has heretofore been effected With counterbalancing-Weights. It is a characteristic of myimprovement that it is adapted to both methods of suspension. Thus it will be seen that by inverting my device as compared with the arrangement shown in Fig. l the notch or tooth l5' is so disposed with reference to the pawls and with reference to the direction of rotation that they arel prevented from engaging therewith. The suspended article therefore, by means of the drum or spool, hangs the spring at all times and in every position, said spring being intended to counterbalance the lamp or article and sustain it in a yielding manner desirable under some circumstances. This double capacity of my suspending device, whereby itis adapted for use in the different Ways specilied, is an important feature of my improvement, and also its adaptability to wind the spring by a simple pull upon the suspendingcord. The special form and arrangement of the spring and pawl holding frame with respect to the spool and its spindle and the notched plate are very simple and efficient and contribute to the uses specified.

Having thus described my invention, What I desire to secure lby Letters Patent isl. The combination of the case, the spindle attached to the case, the spool loose on the spindle, the spring attached to the spool and the spindle,the paWls connected to the spool,

and the .disk attached to the spindle, having a single notch 15, all substantially as set forth, whereby the suspending device is adapted to be locked under one arrangement and under another is adapted to counterbalance the article suspended.

2. The combination of the case provided with diainetrically-opposite recesses on its interior, having end openings in opposite directions, one of said recesses being angular in forni with a spool and spindle, the latter having an angular head adapted to it said angular recess, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the case provided with diametrically-opposite recesses on its interior, having end openings in opposite directions, one of said recesses being angular in form, with a spool and spindle, the latter having an angular head adapted to fit said angular recess, a spring connecting the spool and spindle, a ratchet secured to the spindle,

and a pawl secured to the spool adapted to,

engage the ratchet, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination -of the case provided with diametrically-opposite recesses on its interior, having end openings in opposite directions, one of said recesses being' angular in form, with a spool and spindle,the latter having an angular head adapted to fit said angu- Ylar recess, a spring connecting the spool and spindle, a ratchet secured to the spindle, and a pawl secured to the spool adapted to engage the ratchet, and the disk and brackets whereby said spring and paWls are supported, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

' FRED Il. CORTHELL. Witnesses:

GEO. E. HUNTER, W. P. I-IEMMENs. 

